True Emotions
by gummie-bare
Summary: well... Harry has secrets...but then again so does everyone else! see who does what and what does who.... it all happens in their 6th year at Hogwarts!
1. True Emotions

Disclaimer: I wish, oh how I wish I owned these characters... believe me... it depresses me every day when I write the chapters... :( but alas, I do not... (except characters that I make up later on in the chappies - you'll find out later on ;) ) But all congrats should be made to the wonderful J.K Rowling... (her and her damn creative brain, oh how I envy her shakes fist Grrr...) But that's enough of me rambling on... Please enjoy my story!! Plus I hope that I don't offend anyone by my words, this story is purely for entertainment :D Thankyou :)

_True Emotions_

Ron turned to Harry on Christmas day. "Merry Christmas, Harry!" He smiled, and looked at the bundle of wrapped packages under the decorated Christmas tree, over in the corner of the Gryffindor common room. Harry smiled back. Most of the Students had gone home for the Christmas break, but Harry NEVER wants to return to the Dursley's. Harry and Ron ran towards the presents.   
  
"WOW! There's so many here this year, Harry!!" Ron said excitedly.  
  
Just as they sat down to their gifts, Hermione walked into the common room, looking rather sleepy. She was wearing the Gryffindor emblem on her orange dressing gown.  
  
"Good morning Harry, Good morning Ron" She said smiling a sleepy smile. Hermione had stayed behind for Christmas as well, just to keep Ron and Harry out of mischief, which they always seem to be in!  
  
"Hi Hermione" Harry and Ron replied.   
  
"Look Hermione! You have heaps of presents too!!" Said Ron excitedly, holding a large square box up. It had been wrapped in silver paper and a gold ribbon tied in a bow on top. She slowly walked to him and sat down.   
  
"Thanks Ron" Hermione smiled and gently grabbed the present from him. He blushed and looked down. For awhile he had a crush on Hermione, no one had noticed. And no one would have really cared, but he didn't want the secret to escape him. His heart would jump every time he heard her name, he would blush every time she would look at him, his tongue would get all twisted when he tried to talk to her. All of these are simple crush signs! But Hermione had her eyes for someone else… but whom?  
  
Harry, Hermione and Ron spent most of their morning talking, laughing while opening their presents. By now it was lunch time!!   
  
"Come on you two!! I'm starving!!" yelled Ron, as they were heading to the Dining Hall. Harry and Hermione were dawdling as well as talking and giggling at Ron's excitement at Christmas lunch!   
  
"Good old Ron, he'll never change!!" whispered Harry to Hermione, she smiled in return.  
  
Finally they reached the massive hall. The roof was decorated in floating presents, tinsel, mistletoe and candles. It was always decorated, but this year, it seemed to be different to Ron. Maybe it was his major crush for Hermione. But you have to admit, he has grown close to her. It had been in a long journey, even though they didn't get along in the first year at Hogwarts. Then she was petrified in their second year, third year she slapped Malfoy, and his respect grown for her after that!! Also his jealousy for her and Viktor Krum in the fourth year!   
  
They sat down at the Gryffindor table. There wasn't a lot of people in the hall, a few Gryffindor, about 10 including Harry, Ron and Hermione, 8 Huffelpuffs, 3 Raven claws and 5 Slytherin, which included Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy.  
  
"Great! Look who's here this Christmas! Now I don't feel the Christmas spirit!... Let's go!" grunted Ron.   
  
"Oh, RON! Just forget about him! He is not going to spoil our Christmas!!" Hermione said to Ron, as she pulled her goblet filled with a clear liquid to her mouth.   
  
"I suppose you're right… as usual" replied Ron looking down.  
  
"Harry, you're very quiet today!" Hermione confessed.  
  
"Um… Yeah… I've just got a lot on my mind… that's all" said Harry quietly, and glanced at the corner of the room, at Malfoy. Who was smirking at him. "Why is Malfoy ALWAYS looking at us?!" asked Ron, his voice was disgusted at the thought of talking about Malfoy.  
  
"Who knows, to me it feels like he wants to be our friend or something" replied Hermione. And her stomach fluttered at the thought of Malfoy. For awhile she has taken an interest in him. Even though she would be unable to say anything, for Harry and Ron hated his guts, they would turn their backs on her too.  
  
"Let's just have a nice Christmas without thinking of that scumbag" grunted Ron.  
  
And they started eating the wonderful feast that laid on the table in front of them.  
  
=======================================================  
  
"Well… Crabbe and Goyle, Christmas is here again! But I can't believe that Father made me stay HERE… and to make matters worst… POTTER is here!!" Malfoy huffed and puffed about this whole situation. Crabbe and Goyle just looked at each other, in a 'not this again' look.  
  
"I thought it was bad meeting him! But having to be brought down to his level and stay at school!!" he continued, while stuffing his face with chicken and broccoli…  
  
"Also staying here, seeing that Weasly and that... That... mud blood! It's just preposterous! Father knows WE are better than them!" food was flying out of his mouth as he spoke. Everything just went quiet between the three, at that moment. Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other again, and gave a small smile each.  
  
"So, Crabbe… what'd you get?" Goyle asked smirking... Crabbe giggled and opened his mouth to answer…  
  
"SHUT UP YOU TWO! WHO WANTS TO KNOW WHAT YOU GOT FOR CHRISTMAS! WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ME!!" Malfoy shouted. Everyone in the Hall turned towards them and went quiet.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy! Can you keep your voice down!?" Professor McGonagall said in a firm voice. Malfoy sank in his chair grumbling. Slowly everyone went back to eating and talking. He could see Ron, Harry and Hermione snickering at him, over on the Gryffindor table. "I hate those three!" Malfoy's voice muffled.  
  
=======================================================  
  
Harry's mind was in a mixture of thoughts. Not even he could decide whether these thoughts were good or bad, he had never felt these type of feelings in his whole life. Ron's guess was that he was thinking of a girl… but Hermione's mind was thinking about someone else, she didn't notice that Harry was too quiet from his normal self. As the great feast had slowly disappeared, Ron turned to Harry and asked, "what's on your mind Harry, and don't tell me it's nothing or it's too complicated for me to understand. 'cause I'm worried about ya Harry." Ron's look was alert and intent. But Harry wasn't really paying attention. "Huh? …. Oh sorry Ron, what did you say?" he looked up at Ron. Harry's eyes were tired and mournful. Was he thinking about his parents?  
  
"What's on your mind Harry?" Ron glanced at Harry, then at Hermione. Wondering if she was apart of the conversation. Which she wasn't, because a certain boy was attending her thoughts, rather than her friends. "Well, it might sound silly to you guys..."  
  
"What? Harry we are your friends and we won't judge you… we've already come this far without let downs, now haven't we?" Ron's voice was sympathetic. But still his eyes wondered to Hermione's gazed face. The candle light glittered in her eyes. She was amazing. The years Ron had known Hermione, he never thought that she would look so beautiful. Her hair fell over her shoulders; the candle light highlighted her pale skin, into a golden brown. She had round, red lips and long black eyelashes. To Ron, Hermione was a goddess. But Hermione wouldn't even notice him if Snape poked his wand in her back!  
  
"Well…." Harry continued. "It's just, umm…" he wouldn't think of how he was to admitting his thoughts to them.  
  
"Are you thinking about your parents again?" asked Ron.  
  
"Well, no, not this time" Harry went quiet and leaned in towards Ron, "I'm thinking about a…. a girl" his voice quiet and embarrassed. Ron's mouth dropped. "Harry!" Ron replied, he was astounded!! Harry never told anyone about things like this!! But Ron's thought was correct!! It was a girl.  
  
"A girl… That's why your distant?"   
  
"You don't think less of me, do you?" still whispering to Ron.  
  
"Can we talk about this another place please Harry, I don't think that this is the type of place that we discuss these kind of things" Ron's eyes were large, maybe that will be the time to confess his true emotions about Hermione.  
  
"Yeah… maybe your right" Harry replied. "Should we go now? 'cause I need to talk"  
  
"Fine, let's go. Hermione we are going, are you… umm… can you… ah… we have to go!" Ron panicked. His mind and tongue in tangles.  
  
"Yeah…" her voice drifted off, and her mind was engulfed in thought once again.  
  
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Ron and Harry walked out of the dinning hall, and made their way up to the Gryffindor common room door. "Exploduois" whispered Ron, and the door creaked open. The room was empty, as it was Christmas and all, and they walked to the corner. Pulled up chairs and sat down. "So who is this girl?" asked Ron. Looking at Harry intently.  
  
"Well, to tell you the truth Ron, it wasn't a girl that I was thinking about…" Harry whispered to Ron, looking very nervous.


	2. The Forest

Chapter 2: The Forest.

Ron's jaw dropped… "Harry are you telling me that you're…." his eyes widened,

"… gay?" his voice a whisper looking ashamed, Harry replied

"RON! No way!! I'm not gay! Get your mind outta the gutter!" Harry's eyes blazed and he sat very straight in the chair. Ron was bewildered. "Why'd you say it wasn't a girl?"

"…'cause Ron, people could have heard me… and I don't want to take that risk" Harry said.

"Okay…okay… I won't tell a soul…" Ron gave up on the conversation, he knew that Harry was acting strange, but this was starting to scare him. _"GAY?? I'm sure he is… he's just not letting on!"_ Ron thought to himself.

Both of them just sat there in silence not even looking at each other. Minutes passed and both of them were awkwardly sitting in their chairs near the fire. "Harry?" said Ron sheepishly.

"Yeah Ron…"

"Well since your NOT gay… who were you thinking of?" Ron asked slowly.

"I don't know if I should tell you, 'cause you DO have a Big mouth!"

"Oh… but I want to know!!"

"Well… I don't really like anyone…"

Something in Harry's voice made Ron not believe him. He crossed his arms with an eye brow raised, "Sure, sure." said Ron. "Don't you lie to me Harry, I can see straight through you, you know. Now, who or what were you thinking about. I won't stop bugging you until you tell me what's going on!" In the plight of Ron's pain-in-the-ass questions Harry decided to show Ron what he was thinking about. He led Ron out of the room and out of the castle, past Hagrid's hut and into the Forest. "Harry… you know what happened last time in _here_…" Ron's bottom lip shook as well as his voice.

"Oh Ron… don't be such a baby!" He thumped Ron's chest and smiled. He was excited, more than usual… He was walking a road that he, Ron, and Hermione had trudged before. It was leading to the same path that Ron was most afraid of… The SPRIDER PIT!! Ron gulped and walked cautiously behind Harry as they came to the edge of the path. "I hope we're not going in there… we don't have mum's car this time to help us out!!" Ron whined. Harry turned to Ron, grabbed him by the shoulders, shook him and said "You're acting like a NUT! Just clam down…" Harry smiled and gave a small laugh, "we're not going in there!" he patted him on the back and turned down the other path, leading deeper in the forests. "_Oh…"_ Ron gave a tiny laugh, gulped and walked as close as he could behind Harry, but still looking back to the other path.

Meanwhile, back in the Great Hall, sat Hermione still staring off into the distance and on occasion, would lift her goblet and sip her non-alcoholic beverage. "You know Harry, you have been VERY quiet today!" she said in a medium tone, but with a hint of vacancy. When she didn't get a reply a frown crossed her face and she snapped around to Harry's seat, just to find that Ron and Harry disappeared! To the amusement of the on looking Slytherin gang – meaning Malfoy, and his two blockheads – Hermione's confused look gave them a tasty treat as they munched on their Christmas Lunch, smirking at her and throwing bread at the head. She threw them an evil look and ran out of the Hall to the Gryffindor common room, pulling bread crumbs and butter out of her hair. _"Where are they?"_ She thought entering the common room. There was no sign of them, and just coincidently she walked by the window and saw the two of them enter the Forest. "I stayed here to keep you two OUT OF TROUBLE!" she said crossly to herself while exiting the room and out towards the Forest as well.


	3. Embarrassing moments in time

Chapter 3: Embarrassing moments in time...  
  
"He he, that'll teach that little mud blood!" Malfoy snickered. His goons smiled and nodded, not wanting to get on Malfoy's bad side, as they usually are. McGonagall looked over at the Slytherins' and snarled, unimpressed with their actions towards one of the best students in Gryffindor. Malfoy gave a small sarcastic wave and left the Hall after Hermione.   
  
Over in the Forest:  
  
"Harry…" Ron's voice exceeded three octaves higher than its usual tone. "Harry??!!" His voice louder, but shaking. "Oh what Ron… I'm still here…" Harry tapped on the back of his shoulder. Ron shot around wide eyed and shaking all over. "… you know it's getting pretty dark in here…" Ron's hand clutched Harry's cape. "It's ok, I know what I'm doing… I think…" Harry looked around the forest, but was unable to see anything much further than his out stretched hand. He took a few steps forward, but was jerked back by his robe. "Hey, Ron! Let GO!" Harry struggled, but struggling didn't get anywhere, by the end he had just given up. "Harry, I'm not near you…" Ron said still speaking in the octave high.   
  
"Then, who…" His voice cut of by the crunching steps walking around him, facing him face to face.   
  
"Oh, I knew it was you!" Harry said while releasing the fear in his voice. He stretched out his hand to feel the thing that was in front of him. Not expecting what he was about to discover, he felt a body, a thin body. Harry's hands wondered the body; it was flat but with bumps… were they _boobs?_ "Ah Harry, can you let those go please?" Hermione said unimpressed. He retracted his hands quickly and stuck them in his trousers. "Ah, sorry Hermione…" He blushed, just luckily for him, it was too dark to see the redness in his cheeks and ears. Maybe it wasn't who he had expected, after all.  
  
"What, what's going on??" Ron walked around blindly and bumped into Harry, making Harry fall onto Hermione, as if that wasn't bad enough! First groping Hermione now falling on her! All three landed with a thud on the cold, wet, leaf ridden ground. "Ron, you idiot!" Hermione yelled behind gritted teeth. "Hermione!" Ron said in amazement. "What are you doing here?"   
  
"I'd tell you that, if you all get off me!" she said breathlessly. All the other two got off her and straitened themselves up. Harry pulled Hermione up to her feet.   
  
"What am I doing here?" she said sarcastically. "Well. I'll tell you what I'm going here," her voice raised a little. "I'm here to keep you two from doing something totally stupid!" she threw her hands in the air. "Shh, Hermione, you should know most of all that you should keep your voice down in the Forest!" Ron said with a hint of irony. "Oh I know Ron," she snapped. "What were you two thinking of when you came in here unsupervised?" She stood with her hands on her hips, and tapping her right foot. It was pointless, but she still did it! Harry saw in the small distance of the Forest, a hint of light seeping through the trees, he grabbed Ron and Hermione by the shoulders, and dragged them to the light. "I'll tell you, just keep your voice down!" Harry said when they reached the light.   
  
Earlier:   
  
In Malfoy's horrible attempt to humiliate Hermione, which succeeded, he left the Hall and followed her for no reason in particular. Unawares that she was being followed, she headed to the Gryffindor common room. Which she entered the room and exited it just as fast as she left the Hall. Malfoy and his goons, stood out of sight waiting for the right time to pounce and tease her some more. When they missed the opportunity to reek havoc on her mind, they quickly followed her out of the Castle, and out towards the Forest. She entered, but they stopped. Petrified of entering the Forest, Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other, giving them the I-know-what-you're-thinking look, and together walking backwards ever so slowly trying not to lead on the fact that they were really abandoning Malfoy's side. "Don't even think about it!" Malfoy snarled grabbing their shoulders. "You're going in first," He tossed Crabbe in the Forest first. "You stay here, and wait until he comes out." Malfoy still clutching on to Goyle's shoulder, not letting on that he was still afraid of the Forest. _"If anything bad happens to Crabbe... It won't happen to me! ... 'cause he'd be hurt and not me!"_ Malfoy though with a devilish half smile on his face. When Crabbe didn't come back out for about ten minutes, Malfoy tossed his arms in the air and dragged Goyle in the Forest, who was struggling as best as he could not to go in. They entered in the dark Forest, stepping lightly on the dead leaves and sticks lying on the ground. "Crabbe!" Malfoy whispered. "Where the hell are you?"   
  
Soon enough they found Crabbe staring off into the distance, which just happened to be where the three Gryffindor's were standing. "Good work!" Malfoy slapped Crabbe on the back and walked past him to get a better view on the new entertainment standing in the light. His goons sat besides him on the ground while Malfoy sat on an upturned root.   
  
"Harry, what's going on?" Hermione's voice echoed around the Forest. "Keep it down Hermione!" He answered. Malfoy snarled at Harry's voice. Oh, how he loathed Harry Potter. Anything that had something to do with Harry Potter, Malfoy would spit at. "I wonder why Potty is so eager to make something a secret?" Malfoy said with a twinge of bitterness. "He always has something secret," he turned to this goons, "But it won't be a secret for long!" his sneer turned into an evil smile. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him and smiled and malevolence smile along with him. They all listened intently. "Well?" Hermione said impatiently. "Ok, Ok... I'll tell you..." Harry sat on a rock still under the light, insisting the others to follow his lead. Ron sat beside Harry and then Hermione, starting to look worried. She placed a hand on Harry's knee. "Are you alright?" she whispered. He smiled and gave a small laugh, "I'm more than alright Hermione! I'm absolutely fabulous!" his face lit up like a Christmas tree. Both Hermione and Ron were taken aback, neither of them thought that he was happy. So much stuff had happen to him and they knew that in the years to come, he would face more and more danger. Malfoy sat up straight, "I've got it!" he laughed, "He's GAY!" Malfoy's voice echoed the Forest for a second. His goons snickered and slapped each other in amusement. Harry, Hermione and Ron all shot a look over in the direction of the Slytherins, but they saw nothing. Harry continued cautiously, "I'm not gay, if that's what you're thinking..." he looked at Hermione, thinking that she was the one who said the G word. She looked at him in puzzlement and nodded for him to go on. Ron still didn't know what to think, but he listened carefully as Harry was talking.   
  
"I've met somebody," Harry said happily. "And I can't stop thinking about her!"   
  
Hermione gasped, "But what about Cho, Harry?"   
  
"Cho's nothing compared her!" he sighed.   
  
"Well, if you're not going to go out with her... can I?" Ron asked excitedly, sitting up straight. "Ron!" Hermione snapped a hint of jealously in her voice. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle chuckled while listening harder, to the conversation.   
  
"Harry, what are you talking about?" Hermione asked. He got up and whistled. "Why don't I show you?" he smiled. All of his audience – which included Draco, Crabbe and Goyle – all looked confused at this, but were patient wondering what the hell Harry was going on about. Ron looked over to Hermione, and wondered what he ever saw in her... nonetheless she was a beautiful girl, and she was smart and she had taught Harry and himself a lot about themselves. Even though he explored all possibilities with Cho, he just couldn't see his life without Hermione. He sighed at her sitting attentively under the beam of light that shone from the moon through the trees.   
  
"Yuck! Look at Weasly, drooling over that mud blood!" Malfoy imitated Ron's love struck look over Hermione. As Draco was about to give another nasty comment, he saw a flash of a blue light coming from behind the Gryffindors. He gasped as so did the others in their amazement, all except Harry who was smiling. "Hey, you're here!" He said. 


	4. Aurora

Chapter 4: Aurora.

For once Malfoy couldn't think of some obscene comment to say, he just sat there wide eyed and a dropped jaw. _"That... can't be what I think that is..."_ He thought. Crabbe and Goyle were watching the amazing light shine brighter than the moonlight, with out saying a word. Hermione and Ron took a step back in astonishment at what they were seeing, you'd think they would be use to seeing one, but they weren't. Harry approached the creature with a large grin on his face.

"Hey," He breathed, grabbing its hand. "How are you?" his smiled warmed the timid creature standing before Hermione and Ron, clutching each other's hand. The timid creature took a step forward and stood under the light, and smiled politely but awkwardly to the on lookers.

There stood before all of them, was the most perfect creature ever imaginable. She was tall and slender and her skin was coloured a shimmering violet.. Her hair draped over her bright mahogany red eyes. Her hair was a silver colour with a hint of gold in it, and it was as long as her, almost hitting the ground. But this wasn't the strange part, this creature wasn't human. Oh no, it wasn't.

"Aurora," Harry said to the opened jawed, wide eyed Hermione and Ron standing closely together. "Ron, Hermione... this is Aurora." Hermione and Ron stared at the Centaur, then pulled Harry off side so Aurora couldn't hear them.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Hermione asked unimpressed. Harry said nothing but kept the smile on his face. "Bloody hell Harry..." Ron looked somewhat impressed. "She's gorgeous!" Hermione jabbed Ron in the ribs and gave him a filthy look. "Well... what do you think you're doing with a Centaur?"

"Oh, Hermione! Relax will you?" Harry answered, patting her on the shoulder. "You're not jealous are you?" there was a small him of irony in his voice. "NO! I have... other, things to occupy my mind..." Hermione answered vacantly.

Harry shook his head and walked back to Aurora stand alone, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled in return.

"So, Potty has a... a mutant for a girl friend?" Malfoy's voice was confused but intrigued at the story unfolding in front of his eyes. Crabbe turned around and suggested that they should go spread the word on Potter and his secret, to which Malfoy slapped him on the back and smiled in a devilish rat like smile. All the Slytherins started to get up slowly so they weren't heard or spotted. Goyle stepped on a dry twig by accident, to which he paid for with an uppercut from Malfoy. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Aurora snapped around to see where the noise had come from. Aurora looked closely and saw the figures of three men running from the forest. She pointed over in the direction they were heading. Harry pulled out his wand and followed them out of the forest. Hermione and Ron took his lead hesitantly but followed him. Aurora followed a few steps behind Ron, cautious not to be seen by another human.

The Slytherin's ran as fast as they could; trying to hold in their laughter, back to the tower. Harry caught up with them and tackled Malfoy to the ground hold him at wand point. "Tell me what you saw..." Harry said in a deathly tone. Malfoy laughed and spat on his face. Harry wiped his face with the free hand which was holding Malfoy down under him. Malfoy looked over at his goons and smiled at Harry mockingly. Crabbe and Goyle started to grab Harry but stopped suddenly. Harry smiled and continued to hold Malfoy at his wand point. "I'll ask you again, tell me what you saw or I'll hex you..." Harry's voice was murderous. "Go to hell Potty!" Malfoy spat. Harry punched him in the mouth, which drew blood. "If you don't tell me, I will continue." Malfoy looked away, not breaking his selected silence. Harry punched him again on the other side of Malfoy's mouth, giving him another bleeding lip.

Hermione and Ron appeared with their wands raised, running in towards the goons. "I stopped them! I stopped them Hermione!" Ron yelled excitedly. She shook her head, knowing that it was her who placed the stunning charm on Crabbe and Goyle, but she let Ron have all the glory. "Are you Ok Harry?" She said walking up besides him sitting on Malfoy. Ron dragged the other Slytherin's away from Harry and Malfoy fighting on the ground.

"I'm fine Hermione, but I think that he won't be..." Harry indicated to the similar sized boy underneath him. "Tell ME!" he proceeded, poking his wand harder into Malfoy's neck. "I'll never tell you Potter!" Malfoy snarled. Harry smacked him again.

"It looks like your cheek can't take much more!" Ron observed smiling. He liked that Malfoy was finally getting what he deserved. Hermione's look however was not as impressed as Ron's; she grew worried, but not letting on to Ron standing besides him. "Harry, it's not worth it." She said quietly trying to pull him off the one that occupied her thoughts all day. "Please Harry!" her voice choked up a little.

"Listen to your girl friend Potter! Oh wait, I forgot... you girl friend is a hideous beast in the forest!" Malfoy laughed.

"You did see her, you rat!" Harry's wand dug deeper and deeper into Malfoy's neck, making him splutter and choke. "And she's not hideous... take that back!" Harry snarled.

"As if I would!"

"You better!" Harry's eyes started to flame, as they always did when he was pissed off.

Ron then said in an absent minded way, "Did you know, that the Centaur is one of the most powerful and smart creatures around? When they get aggressive, they can kill?" Hermione shot around and looked at Ron in awe. Never in her life had she thought that Ron would remember something that wasn't taught in class. She smiled at him, definitely impressed with what she heard. He looked up at the moon over his head, trying not to look like he got a fat head for saying something intelligent.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Who really cares?" he said to Ron who took offence. "I care." A voice appeared from behind them, Ron turned around to see Aurora standing there. The light still appeared around her. Her voice was silky and with a little slight accent that wasn't heard before. Malfoy gulped and started to struggle, Harry just held him tighter and pressed his wand in further, smiling evilly. Aurora clopped up towards Harry and asked him in her tongue to let him go. "But he'll tell everyone about you! I don't want that to scare you off!" Harry said defiantly. But she shook her head and waited for Harry to get off Malfoy, which he did under the Centaur's gaze. Ron and Hermione were still in shock, the nights events were certainly taking its toll on them. Ron led Hermione to the petrified goons lying on the ground, and sat her down on Goyle. "Are you Ok Hermione?" he asked sweetly. She nodded and kept an eye on Malfoy.

Malfoy got up and wiped his mouth. It was red raw by the time Harry was finished striking him. Aurora looked at Malfoy, and talked to him in his head. Tears started to build up and he ran all the way back to the castle without looking back. Ron helped Hermione get up off Goyle, and said a counter spell for the two to become un-petrified and ran off after Malfoy, after a minute of bewilderment.

Aurora turned to Harry and smiled. "Please don't hate me for that, but I don't believe that anyone should be punished." Her words were soft, and Harry relaxed.

"I don't hate you," he touched her hair and her face. "I could never hate you." He kissed her softly. Ron looked away, gagging. Hermione didn't say anything, which was unusual for her. But all three were thinking about different things, and didn't really notice anything that the others were doing.

"What did you say to him?" Asked Harry after he withdrew from Aurora. "I can't tell you that... but maybe another night?" And with that, she walked away leaving hoof prints of gold on the ground. He smiled, and waved to her like a love sick puppy. Ron grabbed Harry and Hermione and headed back towards the castle before they were caught.


	5. Christmas dinner ready already? Part 1

Chapter 5: Christmas dinner ready already? Part 1  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione all reached the Gryffindor's common room half and hour before the Christmas dinner was ready to be served. Ron ran to the couch and plonked down on it, he couldn't believe that he just saw what he did. Hermione walked to the bookshelf over in the corner and pulled out a book about Centaurs, and started pouring over the facts that Ron stated outside. As for Harry he wondered in the room, absent minded, and sat in a separate chair near Ron. None of them spoke for some minutes, before Ron broke the silence between them. "So... Harry, that was your secret hey?" Ron said picking his words carefully. Harry nodded and gave a small smile. Ron made no effort in keeping the conversation going, so he closed his eyes and enjoyed the fire that was lighting up the room.   
  
Harry got up and walked to his Dorm, sitting on his bed he thought about Aurora, and smiled again. It seemed that ever since he met her, he couldn't stop smiling. He leant down to look under his bed, where he had his own little box of things that contain all the important stuff to him. In the box there was a picture of his parents and him as a baby, his first letter to him from Hogwarts congratulating him on being accepted into the school, the poisonous tooth of the Basilisk that he killed in his second year of school, and the matching sock to the one that he gave Dobby to be free. He dragged the box out and placed it on his lap, and opened it. He held the photo for a while then moved on. The next cherished item that he recently placed in the wooden box was golden dust in a blue silk satchel. It was from Aurora, taken from her golden hooves. Harry smelled the satchel, it definitely smelled of her, the only one that made him feel so light headed and brave at the same time. He laid down on his bed and closed his eyes imagining that she was there with him that very minute.  
  
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Malfoy ran into the Slytherin common room and straight to his bed. He jumped on it and pulled his blanket over his head, shaking heavily. "Never... never..." He whispered shakily. "Never... again..."   
  
Crabbe and Goyle entered his room and looked at each other sarcastically. "He's such a wimp!" Crabbe mouthed to Goyle who just laughed silently behind his hand. "I saw that!" yelled Malfoy peeking out behind the blanket.   
  
"That... that beast just told me something very wrong! Yes very wrong!" Malfoy said rocking backwards and forwards in his bed. With a thud Pansy Parkinson ran in to his dorm and ordered the block-heads out, so she can speak with Malfoy alone, which they obeyed and closed the door behind them. Malfoy jumped as he heard the door swing open, and looked out behind the blankets carefully, not knowing if Aurora was coming to get him. "What are you doing here?" He asked strongly, it was more like a statement than a question.   
  
"Oh, so your girlfriend can't come see you over the holidays?" she replied malicious.   
  
"I didn't mean it like that..." Draco climbed out from under the blanket and pecked her on the lips. Her face softened from being as hard as stone, she smiled and kissed him back. "So... why are you here... you usually go away somewhere like Paris? Why here?" He asked fixing his bed. She shrugged and started to help him, tucking the blanket and sheets under the bed.   
  
"Mum got sick, and Dad had to work, so there was no point for me to stay at home when I have my school things ready..." she sat on the chair besides the four poster bed and looked at Draco. "And I'm glad you did!" he sighed and kissed her again.   
  
"So what's been happening since I was gone?" She asked.  
  
"Oh nothing..." he lied. He wanted the night's events to be kept a secret.   
  
"Oh yeah... and so this nothing... it just happened to appear all over your face?" her hand touched the bruised parts on his face. Which were along his lips and along the side of his cheek, all from Harry's anger.  
  
"Oh that... nah that's from... from..." Draco's eyes darted around the room, finding a reasonable lie to tell his girlfriend. "... from Crabbe and Goyle... the meat heads, decided to tackle me and kick the shit out of me just for laughs!" he gave a pathetic laugh and waddled to the bathroom to wash the dry blood from his face. Pansy looked skeptical, but decided to leave the conversation alone... she knew that if she pushed a question too far it would lead to a fight between them, and she didn't want that.   
  
"Do you want me to clean that for you? Or should I send you to the hospital wing?" She said mockingly. Draco popped his head around the door, "Shut up!" he simply said then returning back to cleaning himself.  
  
"So have you seen any of my friends around, Dray?" Pansy asked sweetly, which was unusual in itself as she was not a very sweet person, only to Draco. "No why would I?" he huffed. He didn't think much of them, and he didn't want his girlfriend hanging around them, but she thought otherwise.  
  
"Oh it was just a thought." She smiled sweetly at him, she knew that her friends pissed him off, but that's what it felt like for her when he spends all his time around Crabbe and Goyle! _"Damn, that means I have to hang around him all day!"_ She thought. "Well, tata honey, I'm off the kitchens to see if dinner is ready... see you later?"   
  
"Yeah," Draco said absently minded. Pansy walked over to him looking at himself in the mirror, flexing his muscles, and kissed him on the neck. "Oh, babe, you know I love that!" his knees almost buckling underneath him. She smiled evilly in return, and left the room.   
  
Draco's frightened state was clamed by his girlfriend's presence that always calmed him but made him incredibly edgy when she talked to somebody else and not him. Although she cared deeply for him, and he for her, they tried not to let each one show it, so it became a game of 'I-love-you-but-don't-want-to-really-show-it-to-you-in-public' hence the fact that they were all lovey-dovey alone in his room. Draco shook his head, sighed and went on flexing his muscles.  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
Harry smiled, as he usually did, and dragged his hands around to lean his head down on them, he was in a completely different world to where he was. Since he had met Aurora, his whole life changed for the better. He didn't care that Voldemort was on his trail and wanting to chop off his head, all he cared about was – you guessed it- Her. In the common room Ron looked over at Hermione pouring over a book, as she usually did in her free time, and he thought to himself that maybe Hermione wasn't the right way to go for a girlfriend. _"She doesn't even know I'm alive..."   
_  
"Of course she does, you're one of her best friends!" the other side of his brain said to him.   
  
_"Who are you?"   
_  
"I'm your subconscious! Now stop thinking that she doesn't know you, 'cause she does... but maybe not the way you want her to 'notice' you."   
  
_"Bloody hell, you're right, I mean I'm right!"_ Ron shook his head and smiled. He knew from then on that Hermione wasn't going to like him the way he's been mooning over her, so the 'Get-Hermione-alone-plan' wasn't going to go ahead... he needed someone else to fall in love with, but who?   
  
SNAP! Ron jumped out of his thought process and looked around vacantly looking for the sound he heard. "Hmmm," Hermione huffed after she shut the overly large book about magical creatures, and placed it back on the shelf. "It seems Ronald, that you were correct about the Centaurs. Congratulations!" She said sarcastically. He blushed and looked in the fire, "Well, I had my brain to help me on that!"   
  
"Yes..." she cocked and eyebrow and walked off to find Harry. She opened the door to Harry's dorm and entered seeing as Harry didn't answer when she knocked. Harry was lying on his bed with his hands behind his head, smiling in the absent minded way that always plagued his face. "Harry, maybe you should tell Dumbledore? You know as well as I do that Centaurs are dangerous!" Harry shot up looking at her sitting down on the chair. "I don't want to be lectured right now Hermione!" He got up and paced around the room, with her looking back at him somewhat shocked.   
  
"Well, if you don't want to talk about this like adults, then I will tell Dumbledore." She stood and started walking to the door. Harry caught her shoulder and sat her roughly back on the chair besides the bed. "Not a chance Hermione! You can't expose Aurora like that… you know what he would do?" She didn't reply, "He would tell Hagrid and order him to destroy her!" His heart started beating wildly"  
  
Hermione shook her head and laughed, "Harry! Dumbledore wouldn't do that! And Hagrid would find a way to set her free, just like he did with Norbert!!"   
  
"Hermione, I don't want to talk about this… could you just leave it?" Harry stormed out of his dorm, grabbed Ron sleeping and walked out to the Christmas dinner. Hermione however, saw that Harry had left a box out. She looked in it, just out of her curiosity she noticed that his inner most personal memories were in there… and so was Aurora's golden dust. She grabbed the satchel and ran after Harry and Ron to the Christmas dinner as well. 


End file.
